Princess Isolde's procession for her eastern tour was strange. The princess and her escort knights had already arrived at their first destination, the domain of Count Rosegarden. However, the rest of her secretaries and retinue were nowhere to be seen.
Count Rosegarden muttered as he watched the princess's distant carriage.
"The estimated time of arrival I received through the crystal orb... wasn't it half a day from now?"
"That is correct, my lord."
"Dammit."
He didn't know why she had arrived so early. But he had to show his face as quickly as possible. After all, the 'Rosegarden' family, leaders of fashion, etiquette, and culture, could not show such discourtesy.
Count Rosegarden hurriedly boarded his carriage and headed toward the princess.
Clatter!
The carriage shook.
"Ugh!"
"Are you all right, my Lord?!"
"No!"
"..."
"Why of all things did a boil have to pop up on my arse..."
Inside the rattling carriage, the count endured the pain. Having finally arrived, the count paid his respects before the princess.
"I... I apologize for my tardiness, Your Highness!"
"Think nothing of it. It is my fault for arriving earlier than expected."
Isolde changed the subject with an elegant smile.
"Normally, we would discuss official matters, but since my secretaries have not yet arrived, we cannot."
"In that case, perhaps you would like to rest at the castle..."
"I hear the scenery of the lake in front of your domain is quite beautiful."
Surely not....
A cold sweat trickled down the count's cheek.
"While we wait for the others, how about we take a ride around the lake in a carriage together?"
"... It would be my honor, Your Highness!"
An honor? Hardly.
Getting into a shaky carriage now, with a boil on his bottom, was no different from torture. But how could he refuse the princess's command?
"Come. Hurry aboard."
He boarded the princess's carriage with grim determination.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
And so the carriage began to move... He was astonished. 'The carriage's shaking... it's gone...?'
The carriage was clearly traveling on the dirt road along the lakeshore.
And yet... Rumble.
The vibrations he felt now were like those from crossing the stone-paved streets of the capital. The spot with the boil still throbbed, but it was bearable at this level.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The sound of the horses' hooves was even louder than the sound of the carriage wheels.
"Good heavens..."
He had ridden in many of the latest carriages, but this was the first time he'd experienced anything like this. 'What in the world is this....?' As he was doubting his senses, Princess Isolde casually lifted her teacup.
Then she took a sip.
Slurp.
Their eyes met. The princess spoke.
"My apologies. I've been feeling a bit weak lately, so this is a tea prescribed by my physician... It feels strange drinking alone, would you care for a cup, Count?"
"Ah, no, Your Highness!"
The count's eyes widened. He wasn't staring because she hadn't offered him tea. It was just...
'Drinking tea in a moving carriage?' He was just amazed by the princess's unusual behavior. Not a single drop of tea spilled from the cup.
Not even when the carriage was turning a corner. The count asked the princess.
"Forgive my impertinence, but... where was this carriage crafted as a gift for you?"
"The carriage itself is the one I've always used."
"... Is that so."
Impossible.
'She just doesn't want to tell me.' A few hours after that dreamlike carriage ride ended, the princess's secretaries arrived. Now it was time to start discussing business with the working-level staff...
"Then, this part, the Rosegarden side will..."
The count just couldn't concentrate. Even now, the princess's carriage was on his mind. 'She said she was using her old one...?
Impossible.'
That carriage... was an object that would turn all other carriages into heaps of junk. The 'Rosegarden' family, as its name suggests, was a family that revered beauty. That carriage was beautiful.
The quiet sound of the wheels. The gentle vibrations. The comfortable ride.
'Ride comfort?'
The count mulled over the unfamiliar word. 'Have I ever considered such a thing before?' Surprisingly, no. Simply increasing the thickness of the cushions couldn't be called 'improving ride comfort.'
Just then, one of the princess's secretaries called to the count.
"Count, is something the matter?"
"Ahem... my apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment... no! I was just tired and my mind wandered."
As soon as the work was finished, the count grabbed one of the princess's secretaries and asked.
"Um... do you happen to know if any changes were made to Her Highness's carriage?"
The secretary complained, as if wronged.
"That... well... it's been killing us too, Count. That's the very reason our staff was late today."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Her Highness had something installed on the carriage, and after that, we just couldn't keep up!"
"Installed something... Do you know where it's from?"
"We'd be disqualified as secretaries if we didn't know that. They said the parts were from the 'Upperhills Workshop'."
Upperhills Workshop.
It was a name he'd never heard before. Weren't the best carriages in the Empire made by 'Horseless Carriage'? Had the trends in the capital changed while the count was suffering from his boil?
That couldn't be. The 'Rosegarden' family could never fall behind the trends. As soon as the princess left for the next city, the count gave an order to his retainers.
"Find out about the 'Upperhills Workshop' at once."
Yes, my lord! The count's retainers replied. 'No matter the cost.
I must... I must....'
The count planned to install parts from the 'Upperhills Workshop' on his own carriage. And after that...
"I shall host a banquet in front of the lake."
And arranging for a few carriages to circle the lake would complete the scene. The princess had shown him exactly how to stage it; all he had to do was follow her lead.
Meanwhile, inside the princess's carriage.
"Just as you said, Your Highness, Count Rosegarden asked me about the 'suspension' after our meeting."
"Just as planned."
Isolde smiled with satisfaction. Everything was in the palm of her hand. She knew perfectly well that Count Rosegarden was suffering from a boil.
That was why she had deliberately invited him into her carriage. She was certain the count would never be able to go back to his old carriage.
Clink.
The princess set her teacup down in a corner of the carriage. There was no doctor's prescription. It was all an act from start to finish.
But the world is sustained by belief, not by facts. 'Teatime inside a carriage should serve as good publicity.' She hoped this would be of some help to Isaac.
The princess gazed out the carriage window toward the capital.
"I wonder if she's arrived by now?"
The best secretary the princess had carefully selected and sent. She too should be meeting with Isaac.
"Now, say your goodbyes, Anna."
"Thank you again for today, big brother."
Anna bowed her head and left the lab. I kept a bright smile and waved until the very end. And when Anna and the orphanage director finally left through the door, Whoosh.
I let my body sink into the lab's sofa. If the sole definition of a fluid is something that changes its shape to fit its container, then I was a fluid right now.
"It's the break, so why is there so much work?"
Reviewing the revised 'Acoustic Wave Theory Textbook' requested by the Magic Academy. Preparing for Anna's fast-approaching Magic Academy entrance examination. Managing the 'Upperhills Workshop'.
Establishing the 'Upperhills Foundation' with the money from Winterheart. Each task is fun on its own, but doing them all at once is exhausting. ... And since I brought all this on myself, I had nowhere to complain.
'If Liam were here, we could've destressed over some hangover soup...' Liam wasn't here. The Magic Tower was almost empty right now.
The only person around was Elara, the master's graduate. 'The other things are starting to take shape... but establishing the foundation is still a long way off.' To establish a foundation, one had to prepare all sorts of complicated documents.
A list of noble sponsors. Proof of domain ownership. And various other Imperial family approval procedures.
Normally I would have asked Giuseppe, but it was impossible now during the break. I should have treated him better when he was around...
"Why do the guys who make the laws make the procedures so unnecessarily complicated?" ...
Wait.
Is this administration, not legislation? I don't really know, to be honest. I'm a science guy.
At least the documents at the Magic Tower could be sorted into two types, 'money' and 'work', but this was different. Just as I was tearing my hair out and grumbling. Knock, knock, knock.
I heard a knocking at the door. Anna doesn't knock so rhythmically. Who could it be?
When I cracked the door open, a woman in a suit was standing there. She had dark circles under her eyes. She was holding documents in her hand. ...
This, this smells strongly of work. The woman in the suit opened her mouth.
"Excuse me, are you Isaac Upperhills?"
I'm already swamped with work, I can't take on any more.
"No. I'm 'Howard Wallowitz'?"
"Is that so? My apologies."
She bowed her head without the slightest hesitation and turned away.
Click.
I closed the door.
"... What was that?"
It's the break, so she's probably not from the Magic Tower, and I've already said I'm not taking requests. An unprecedented fear washed over me. A few hours later, I heard knocking again.
'Is it that person from before?' This time, I answered without opening the door.
"This is Wallowitz. What can I do for you?"
"Huh? Isaac, isn't that you?"
It was the voice of Elara, the master's graduate. I opened the door with a sigh of relief.
"Whoa. Floor Leader, you wouldn't believe the strange person I saw earlier... huh...?"
"Hehehe..."
Elara laughed awkwardly. Because behind her stood the woman in the suit from before.
"... How much did you sell me for?"
"I didn't get any money?"
"What?"
This is crazy. I thought we were pretty close, but she sold me out without even getting paid?
Elara said.
"Sorry, Isaac. But she said she's in charge of the orphanage where Anna lives. It seemed like something urgent..."
"Ah."
I really thought Elara would have sold me for money. ...
My bad.
"Anyway, you two work it out!"
And so Elara left. I was left alone with the dark-circled suit woman.
To my great surprise, her identity was that of a secretary sent by the princess. Her name was 'Laura'. In other words, she was an ally.
'Dammit, and I had no idea...' I spouted all that nonsense about being Wallowitz.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were sent by Her Highness the Princess."
"No, it is my fault. Her Highness ordered me not to reveal that she sent me... I should have at least presented you with the royal decree."
I'm sorry. My apologies.
I'm more sorry. No, I'm even more sorry. And with that, Laura's back bent to a 90-degree angle.
Her posture and speed were textbook perfect. I felt it instinctively. I couldn't win against this person in this manner.
My etiquette, learned in a crash course from Gwendolyn, was no match for her.
"So, what is it that you need me to do?"
Laura went straight to the point. I laid out all the problems that had been tormenting me. Anna's entrance exam, managing the workshop, establishing the foundation.
As soon as I finished speaking, she opened her mouth.
"First, you don't need to worry about Lady Anna's entrance exam. I will arrange for the most reputable tutors for each subject."
"Oh. That's amazing."
Flinch.
Laura's body trembled. A moment later, she spoke.
"And... regarding the workshop, there seems to be no need to touch it right now."
"Orders will start coming in around the time Her Highness's tour ends, so for now, we will solve the other problems first."
"Right. I agree."
I expected someone sent by the princess to be competent. But she was far more competent than I had imagined. Laura tilted her head.
"Did you hear me correctly? Do you have any questions, or are there any parts you are dissatisfied with?"
"You're the expert in this kind of work. So I should trust you."
"... You trust me that easily?"
"If I don't trust the expert, who do I trust?"
Laura was at a loss for words.
I continued.
"Ah. Then I'll just ask for one thing. For Anna's tutoring, please don't hire teachers for natural studies and magic. I'll figure something out for those."
". Understood."
That's two problems solved. What a relief. Now, only the final problem remained: 'establishing the foundation.'
Laura asked.
"What specific vision does the Upperhills Foundation have?"
"Hmm..."
I recalled something Anna had once said in passing. -'Before I was taken by that crazy mage... I used to make bricks in the north.' -'For how long?' -'About two years. I think I did it constantly, except for when I was eating or sleeping.'
No matter how faint the concept of human rights was in this world, I thought that was going too far.
I answered.
"I want to create a world where children don't have to work."
Even now, the Empire provides minimal support to war orphans, but... it's too inadequate. According to Anna, the government office gave them two loaves of bread each month. At my words, Laura tilted her head.
"Pardon? If children don't work... how are children with no backing supposed to make a living?"
As expected.
My fundamental way of thinking is different from the people of this world. In this world, the concept of 'children who must be protected' is rather faint. It might be an age of violence and barbarism, but you can't treat children like this.
I told Laura, "That's what our foundation should support." 'Why should kids work.' Just let them play and grow up.
Because they'll have to work a lot when they're older, just like me...
"Provide them with a place to stay and food."
"Give them vocational training."
"Build schools and provide scholarships."
"I plan to protect the children from external harm."
This much should be enough to put out the most urgent fires.
Laura asked.
"... You're going to do all of that? For all the young citizens of the Empire?"
"That's the final goal. For now, I plan to focus on the 'Upperhills' first."
"Let's start by building living spaces and a school."
Tick-tock.
The sound of a clock could be heard, and the sunset colored the lab.
Laura said.
"I seem to have met a peculiar superior."
"Don't you like it?"
"No. It's been a long time since I've felt this motivated about a mission."
She continued.
"I will assist you to the best of my abilities."